Reference Group members connected with the community to find out about issues that affect them.

This includes issues that affect participants.

Participants are people with disability who take part in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Members shared reports about these issues with the NDIA.

People from the NDIA also shared their response to some of these issues.

Reference Group members said people are worried about some changes to NDIS laws.

This includes laws about:

• NDIS supports
• NDIS plans.

An NDIS plan is a document that includes information about:

• a participant and their goals
• what support they receive from the NDIS
• what the NDIS will pay for.

This means participants can’t get some supports from the NDIS anymore.

And it is hard for them to pay for these supports themselves.

Members said people are also confused about how funding periods have changed.

Funding periods tell participants:

• when part of their funding can be used
• how long their funding needs to last.

Funding is money from someone’s NDIS plan that pays for the supports they need.

Some people didn’t know that funding periods would change before they did.

People also are unsure if these funding periods are right for families with young children.

The NDIA said decisions about funding periods should:

• be made with the participant

• change to support what a participant needs.

Reference Group members said people are worried about changes to:

• NDIS plans

• how the NDIA checks if a participant still needs NDIS supports.

Participants and their families are worried the NDIA are not listening to what they have to say.

They also want the NDIA to explain more clearly how they make decisions.

The NDIA said they’re working with the community to improve their experiences.

Reference Group members said some participants have to wait a long time for early childhood supports.

Members said this is causing a lot of issues for participants who need support.

Reference Group members said the NDIA should improve the way they communicate.

The NDIA said they know it’s important to improve how they communicate about changes to the NDIS.

This includes how the NDIA shares this information with:

• their staff

• the IAC and Reference Groups

• the disability community.